Foster Homes
Save Lives!
You can help rescue animals find their forever home!
Fostering a rescue animal means that you agree to take an animal into your home and care for them until they can find a loving forever home through Secondhand Hounds. We are always in need of more fosters in the Twin Cities area. Most of our animals are saved directly from animal shelters where they are at risk of being euthanized, so they need foster homes to show them what it means to feel loved.
What will be expected of me as a foster home?
All items you need to care for your foster dog or cat (crate, food, bowl, litter box, etc.) will be provided by Secondhand Hounds, as well as any vet expenses to get them ready for their forever home. The most important part of your job will be to help reintroduce your foster animal to a home environment by giving him/her some basic training, socialization and lots of love.
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Since our foster homes know the animals in their care the best, our fosters are very involved in the adoption process and decide if an applicant will be approved to adopt their foster animal. More information on the adoption process can be found below.
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Please review our fostering FAQ below and reach out to fostering@secondhandhounds.org if you have questions before you start fostering!
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How long does one typically foster a dog or cat before it finds a forever home?It is very hard to give an average time an animal is in foster care. Many puppies and kitties are adopted within a month​ or two, while some adult dogs have been in foster care for years! Most of the time, our animals are adopted relatively quickly, but we cannot make any guarantee as to how long they will be in your home. We ask that you commit to the animal you are fostering until a forever family is found.
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Can I choose what dog/cat I want to foster?Yes! All of our animals needing a foster home are posted on our Secondhand Hounds Fosters Needed Facebook page. If you find a dog or cat who interests you, contact the Foster Coordinator and he/she will ensure the animal will be a good fit for your household. You can also give us criteria for the type of dog or cat you want to foster. After you let us know your criteria (i.e. age, size, gender), we will do our best to match you with the perfect foster animal.
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What is the role of my Foster Coordinator?Foster Coordinators help find dogs and cats to come to rescue, and are responsible for placing them in foster homes that are a good fit. Foster Coordinators are also the main resource and support system for all of the fosters. If you have a question about your foster animal, you should talk to your FC. If it is a question that they can not answer, they will delegate that question to someone who has the answer. See them and all of our staff here!
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Where do the dogs/cats come from?Our animals are rescued from high-kill shelters all around the Midwest. We have volunteers who regularly visit these facilities and look for animals that need our help. We have developed great relationships with shelter workers who contact us when they have animals in danger of being euthanized. If you are interested in more information about your specific foster, we will do our best to tell you where he/she comes from, and his/her background story, if possible. We also receive some of our animals from owner surrenders – owners who can no longer provide care for their animals, but who want to ensure the best possible new home is found for them.
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Am I putting my personal pets in danger by agreeing to foster?Because our dogs and cats come from shelter situations, they have unknown histories and it’s quite possible they haven’t had their medical needs properly met. They sometimes have kennel cough (the equivalent of a human cold) and worms, among other possibilities. Before we bring the dogs/puppies and cats/kittens into a foster situation, we de-worm them, vaccinate them, and give them Frontline or other flea/tick preventatives. We highly recommend your resident animals are on Frontline or another flea/tick preventatives prior to fostering.